The Default Reasoning Regarding Jesus and His God

Trinitarians, especially, approach the scriptures with the assumption that all their trinitarian formulations are true, and most often appear to assume that the trinitarian assumptions are the default. They appear to reason that because they can think up many assumptions beyond what is written, and add to those assumptions to what is written, that what they imagine and assume is actually fact, and thus the default reasoning. Indeed, it appears that they do not even consciously realize that they are adding so many assumptions to the scriptures and reading those assumptions into the scriptures.

The "oneness" believers often do similarly, with their claims that the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit are all three one person.

We believe, however, that the Bible itself sets what the default reasoning should be. Let us examine a few scriptures.

Psalms 2:2 - The kings of the earth set themselves, And the rulers take counsel together, Against Jehovah, and against his anointed, saying. -- American Standard Version (ASV).

In Psalm 2:2, the Messiah (Anointed One) is presented, not as being Jehovah, but as the one whom Jehovah anointed. The default reasoning should be that the Messiah is not Jehovah, not to imagine and assume that Jesus is Jehovah.

Of course, the trinitarian will usually make use of his many assumptions by which he would imagine and assume that Jehovah is more than one person, and thus they will claim that Psalm 2:2 refers to one person of Jehovah who anoints another person of Jehovah, etc. The reality is that Jehovah, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, is not once in the Bible presented as being more than one person.

Psalms 110:1 - A Psalm of David. Jehovah saith unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand, Until I make thine enemies thy footstool. -- ASV. 

Here David speaks of Jesus as being his Lord, and he tells of Jehovah speaking to Jesus, his Lord. "Jehovah" refers to only one person, and David's Lord is not depicted as being Jehovah. Again, the default reasoning is that David's Lord is not Jehovah who speaks to David's Lord.  See our study: The Lord of David

Isaiah 11:1 - And there shall come forth a shoot out of the stock of Jesse, and a branch out of his roots shall bear fruit.
Isaiah 11:2 - And the Spirit of Jehovah shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of Jehovah.
Isaiah 11:3 - And his delight shall be in the fear of Jehovah; and he shall not judge after the sight of his eyes, neither decide after the hearing of his ears. -- ASV.

Again, we find Jehovah presented as being one person, and the Messiah has the spirit of Jehovah resting upon him and the Messiah rests in the spirit of knowledge of the fear (reverence) of Jehovah. Indeed, it is prophesied that the Messiah will delight in the fear (reverence) of Jehovah. Jehovah is presented as being only one person, and the Messiah is distinguished from being Jehovah throughout. Again, the default reasoning is that the Messiah is not Jehovah.

Isaiah 61:1 - The Spirit of the Lord Jehovah is upon me; because Jehovah hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the broken-hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound;
Isaiah 61:2 - to proclaim the year of Jehovah's favor, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn. -- ASV.

Here Isaiah prophetically quotes the Messiah. Rather than claiming to be Jehovah, the Messiah says, "The Spirit of the Lord Jehovah is upon me". Rather than claiming to be Jehovah, the Messiah says, "Jehovah hath anointed me". Rather than claiming to be Jehovah, the Messiah states concerning Jehovah, "He hath sent me". Rather than claiming to be the God of Israel, the Messiah refers to Jehovah as "our God [ELOHIM]", thus showing that he recognized himself as having Jehovah as his God. The default reasoning is not to imagine, assume, add to, and read into the scripture that Jesus is Jehovah, the God of Israel, but rather that Jesus is not Jehovah who anointed and sent the Messiah. 

And Micah prophesies concerning the Messiah:

Micah 5:4 - And he shall stand, and shall feed his flock in the strength of Jehovah, in the majesty of the name of Jehovah his God: and they shall abide; for now shall he be great unto the ends of the earth. -- ASV.

Here the Messiah is definitely shown not to be Jehovah, but rather Jehovah is depicted as being the God (ELOHIM) of the Messiah, in whose strength the Messiah stands and feeds his flock (the flock that Jehovah gives to him -- Ezekiel 34:23,24; 37:24; John 10:29; 17:2,9). Micah 5:4 is in harmony with Ephesians 1:3; 1 Peter 1:3 and many other scriptures that show that Jesus' Father is Jesus' God. Again, the default reasoning is that Jesus is not Jehovah, his God, in whose strength he stands and feeds the flock. -- See our study: Jesus Has a God

Of the Messiah Moses stated:

Deuteronomy 18:15 - Jehovah thy God will raise up unto thee a prophet from the midst of thee, of thy brethren, like unto me; unto him ye shall hearken;
Deuteronomy 18:17 - And Jehovah said unto me, They have well said that which they have spoken.
Deuteronomy 18:18 - I will raise them up a prophet from among their brethren, like unto thee; and I will put my words in his mouth, and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him.
Deuteronomy 18:19 - And it shall come to pass, that whosoever will not hearken unto my words which he shall speak in my name, I will require it of him. -- ASV.

Peter refers to this as recorded in Acts 3:13-26. Rather than presenting Jesus as being Jehovah, Peter presents God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob as being only one person, and he presents Jesus as being the prophet whom the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob raised up. Peter thus actually distinguishes Jesus from Jehovah throughout. The default reasoning is not to create many assumptions that have to be added to the Bible so as to claim that Jesus is Jehovah, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, but rather that Jesus is not the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob who raised Jesus to be His prophet.

The fact is that Jehovah's Anointed One is nowhere presented as being his God. Any such idea has to be formulated beyond what is written, added to what is written and read into what is written.

Thus, the default scriptural reasoning is that Jesus is not Jehovah, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the Supreme Being who sent Jesus; the default reasoning is that Jesus is not Jehovah, since Jesus speaks the words given to him from Jehovah the only true Supreme Being. -- Exodus 3:13,14; Deuteronomy 18:15-19; Isaiah 61:1; John 3:34; 5:19; 6:29; 7:16,28; 8:26,28,42; 10:36; 12:44-50; 14:10,24; 17:1,3,8; Acts 3:13-26; 1 Corinthians 8:6; Galatians 4:4; Hebrews 1:1,2; 1 John 4:9,10.

The default scriptural reasoning is that Jesus is not Jehovah, since it was Jehovah, God and Father of Jesus (Ephesians 1:3), who is the Only one in the universe who is the source of all (1 Corinthians 8:6), Jehovah is He who anointed and sent Jesus (Isaiah 61:1; John 17:1,3), prepared a body of flesh for Jesus (Hebrews 10:5), and made Jesus a little lower than the angels so that Jesus could offer that body of flesh with its blood to Jehovah his God for our sins.  -- Matthew 26:26-28; Luke 22:19; Romans 3:25; Colossians 1:14; Ephesians 5:2; Hebrews 2:9; 9:14; 10:10; 1 Peter 2:24; 3:18; 1 John 1:7; Revelation 1:5.

The default scriptural reasoning is that Jesus is not Jehovah, who who made the covenant with Abraham and the seed of Abraham -- which seed is Christ (Galatians 3:14,16; Luke 22:29), through whom the Father -- Jehovah -- will bless all the nations. -- Genesis 22:18.

The default reasoning is that Jesus is not Jehovah, since it was Jehovah, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, who raised Jesus up as His prophet who is like Moses. -- Exodus 3:14,15; Deuteronomy 18:15-19; Acts 3:13-26.

The default reasoning is that Jesus is not Jehovah, since Jesus was sent by Jehovah, speaks the words of Jehovah as his God and Father, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob (Exodus 3:14,15) who raised and glorified His Son. -- Deuteronomy 18:15-22; Matthew 22:32; 23:39; Mark 11:9,10; 12:26; Luke 13:35; 20:37; John 3:2,17,32-35; 4:34; 5:19,30,36,43; 6:57; 7:16,28; 8:26,28,38; 10:25; 12:49,50; 14:10; 15:15; 17:8,26; 20:17; Acts 2:22,34-36; 3:13-26; 5:30; Romans 15:6; 2 Corinthians 1:3; 8:6; 11:31; Colossians 1:3,15; 2:9-12; Hebrews 1:1-3; Revelation 1:1.

The default reasoning is that Jesus is not Jehovah, since Jesus receives his power and authority from, Jehovah, his God and Father. -- Deuteronomy 18:15-19; Psalm 2:6-8; 45:7; 110:1,2; Isaiah 9:6,7; 11:2; 42:1; 61:1-3; Jeremiah 23:5; Ezekiel 34:23,24; 37:24; Daniel 7:13,14; Micah 5:4; Matthew 12:28; 28:18; Luke 1:32; 4:14,18; 5:17; John 3:34; 5:19,27,30; 10:18,36-38; Acts 2:22,36; 3:13-26; 10:38; Romans 1:1-4; 1 Corinthians 15:27; 2 Corinthians 13:4; Colossians 1:15,16; 2:10; Ephesians 1:3,17-23; Philippians 2:9-11; Hebrews 1:2,4,6,9; 1 Peter 3:22.

Additionally, we reason that Jesus is not Jehovah, since, the only true God, the God and Father of Jesus, never is "given" power at all; THE GOD AND FATHER OF JESUS IS POWER INNATE, the source of all. (1 Corinthians 8:6) Jehovah, being the source of all might, power, does give to Jesus power, but not the power of being the source of all power, since it is obvious in that all that is given from the only true Supreme Being, that of being the only true Supreme Being is exempt from being given to anyone. (John 17:1,3; Ephesians 1:3,17-23; 1 Corinthians 15:27) All is still "of" Jehovah, the source of all, "through" the one whom only true Supreme Being has made -- appointed -- as "Lord" over the church and the world; Jesus, the one appointed, only has power "through the strength of Jehovah", "his God". -- Psalm 2:6; Isaiah 9:7; 11:2; 61:1-3; Ezekiel 34:23,24; 37:24; Jeremiah 23:5; Micah 5:4; Matthew 28:18; Luke 1:32,33; Acts 2:36; 5:31; 1 Corinthians 8:6; Ephesians 1:3,17-23; Philippians 2:9-11.

The default reasoning is that Jesus is not Jehovah, since it is Jehovah who is designated as being "Most High", and Jesus is designated as being "son of the Most High." (Genesis 14:22; Psalm 7:17; 83:18; 92:1; Luke 1:32; John 13:16) Jesus is never identified in the Bible as being the Most High.

The default reasoning is that Jesus is not Jehovah, since throughout the entire Bible, Jehovah is ALWAYS presented as being one person, and He is ALWAYS distinguished from being the Messiah, whom He anointed. Not one scripture presents Jehovah, God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob as being more than one person. Not one scripture identifies Jesus as being the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, despite however many scriptures one may think beyond what is written in order to "see" such a thought in the scriptures. The onus is not upon one accepting this default to disprove all the claims made by others that would claim that Jesus is the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. It is only for such to present what the scriptures do say, and what they do not say, and show the harmony of the scriptures without adding all the assumptions needed to support the idea that Jesus is the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

See also our study: Jesus is not Jehovah.

See also: Links to our Studies Related the Ransom and the Trinity.